Senate Republicans delay Sotomayor vote

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Senate Republicans on Tuesday slowed down the anticipated confirmation of U.S. President Barack Obama's Supreme Court nominee, federal appeals judge Sonia Sotomayor.

Republicans invoked their right to postpone for a week a vote by the Senate Judiciary Committee to send the nomination for consideration to the full Democrat-led Senate, which is widely expected to confirm Sotomayor, perhaps overwhelmingly.

The action means the committee will vote next Tuesday on Sotomayor, who would be the first Hispanic and just the third woman ever on the highest U.S. court.

"We all know that Judge Sotomayor will be confirmed," Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy said in announcing the delay at a committee meeting.

Leahy, a Democrat, later told a news conference he was disappointed by the delay, but noted Republicans "have that right" to force a one-time postponement of a committee vote.

Sotomayor appeared before the panel last week for a nationally broadcast confirmation hearing and seemed to emerge with mounting support to replace retired Justice David Souter.

Sotomayor, 55, is considered to be a moderate unlikely to change the ideological balance on the Supreme Court, which often splits 5-4 in favor of conservatives.

Susan Collins on Tuesday became the fourth Senate Republican to announce support for the nominee. The entire 60-member Senate Democratic caucus is expected to back her.

"I will vote to confirm Judge Sotomayor as I believe she will serve our country honorably and well on the Supreme Court," Collins said in a statement.

The Senate will likely vote to confirm Sotomayor after at least a few days of debate and Leahy predicted she will be seated before the Supreme Court meets in a special session in September.

(Reporting by Thomas Ferraro, Editing by Vicki Allen)